Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones
by Pherexio
Summary: Sigma has taken power, and the former Hunters' ability to resist is slowly draining away. In dark times, the rules of war do not apply. There is only one option left to win the war: rescue Zero. Rated M for various sections of content.
1. Prologue: Hero's Legacy

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p Also, this is my first fic, so go ahead, R&R!

Summary: Several years after Sigma took control, Zero was captured. A number of clones were created to defeat X and his force of former Hunters and though each failed, the war is turning sour for X and his friends, and the fate of an entire world has been placed in the hands of a handful of outcast Hunters.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Prologue: Taken Alive**

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"Keep up the pace, we've nearly got them!" The voice boomed through the dense woods. The hoarse cackle that followed seemed to scratch at the very skin of the ones it pursued.

"Oh no!" X looked back for a moment, and wished he hadn't. One of the soldiers running with him had tripped, and was being overrun by the enforcers behind them. _They're so close! I have to run faster!_ Suddenly X remembered how much like Zero's predicament he was in...

_[Flashback]_

"Come on, keep running!" They were being chased by a man armored mostly in black, with a few orange stripes. The enforcers that ran with him, in their blue and white uniforms, were gaining on the group fast. _Heero Doubledrive... your father was a good man... you are just slime._ Zero spat at the thought of his pursuers' name.

_[End Flashback]_

That same Hunter was hunting him now. X could feel the evil exuding from the deranged humanoid. "AAAAAHHHHH!!!" X heard another soldier shriek as the enforcers took him. "Not now! No please!! AAAAHHH!" X was all alone now, except for one soldier who was with him, Virus.Zero. _Virus is a clone of the original Zero, but he isn't the first..._

_[Flashback]_

"Zero!? Is that really you!?" X was overjoyed to see his friend. So overjoyed, that he ran straight toward him, but he stopped suddenly before he reached him. "Wait... you can't be Zero... he's taller than I am!" X's conclusion was rewarded with a shot from the buster cannon on the robot's arm. "Who are you?" X managed as he dodged the attack.

"My name is Hunter.Zero. I am a Hunter, and my mission is to destroy you, and your Mavericks X!" X was awestruck by the voice. While it sounded like Zero, it was different somehow.

X took a severe beating from the reploid, and ended up on his knees. Just as Hunter's Z-Saber was about to cut into X's flesh, it stopped. X didn't know why, but he took the opportunity to defend himself. One shot to the gut of the Zero clone sent him flying into the wall. The force knocked him unconscious.

_[End Flashback]_

First there was Hunter.Zero, then Virus.Zero, then the last one, End.Zero. Each one had darker armor than the last, and signify less of Zero's program in him. None had been successful in their mission as hunters, so they all joined X against the Empire of Steel. _The Empire..._ X shuddered as he ran. Sigma had returned with a host of powerful mavericks and caused mass panic among what few humans were left and many reploids. X, Zero, and the other most powerful hunters had tried to stop Sigma, but this time he was too strong. When Dr. Cain was killed, most of the reploids had changed over to Sigma's side. Almost all of the remaining humans were killed. Any that were left hid well. The reploids that did not join Sigma were outcast as Mavericks, and ended up trying to overthrow the Empire of Steel. Their war has been going on for over fifteen years, and Zero had been captured five years into the fight.

_[Flashback]_

"Keep running!" Heero Doubledrive was right behind them, with an army of enforcers. They hit a dead end. There was only one way for them to escape, and Zero knew what had to be done. "Quick, get out of here, I'll delay them!"

"But Zero--!"

"X, don't argue with me, it'll be alright. I'll come back, I promise." Zero's smile made X forget that Zero would never be able to escape. He ran through the exit door, and locked it behind him. He took one last look through the window slot. He saw Zero fighting off the enforcers, and defending himself from Heero. He was being overrun. "ZERO!" Sapphire and Ashes had to drag him away before the enforcers cut through the door.

_[End Flashback]_

That was the last time they had seen Zero until a few hours ago. He was being dismantled by some huge machine. His armor was lying on the table next to him, and most of his circuits were exposed. They had intended to rescue him, but in that condition, rescue was impossible.

"HAHA! I'll have you now Rockman X!!" The voice of Heero Doubledrive was sickening to the core.

_What would Zero do in this situation..._

"Virus..." X said, as they ran.

"Yeah X?" Virus knew what X was going to say, but he asked anyway.

"You go to the base, it'll be harder for them to catch one of us." Virus didn't reply for a while.

"You're going to the canyon, aren't you? There's no way out of there! I'll go, you're too important to us!"

"No, they'll never chase you there. I'm going, and you had better get back to the base, or I'll kill you when I see you again!" X left Virus after his half-meant threat.

"Alright X... I'll make it back." Virus was thinking out loud.

_[Some Moments Later]_

Virus was hiding in a large tree, and the enforcers were running back to the box canyon. He heard X scream, and he assumed he had been overrun, just like he said Zero had. He climbed down from the tree and moved a few bushes until he found an old sewer lid. He undid the lock, and climbed down it, replacing the cover before dropping down the ladder. "Damnit X... why? WHY!?" Virus punched at the concrete as he yelled. He had heard that Zero sacrificed himself for the team many times, just like the legendary hero he is, but he had never imagined it would be so draining to see one of his comrades go. He sobbed for X for nearly an hour before he got up and ran down the sewer towards his home: the abandoned lab of Dr. Cain.

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This story is my take on where the normal MMX universe and the MMZero universe split apart (because they seem to do so).  
This actually started out as a concept for a flash movie, but I decided to put that off for now. Hope you enjoy, and don't forget, R&R!


	2. Chapter One: Home

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so ask if you want to use them.

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter One: Home**

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Virus had clamed down considerably. By the time he got near the base, there were no tears left on his face. He had taken his helmet off some time ago, letting his long blue-gray hair move a little more freely. He rounded the last corner and stopped before the door. _Hope they haven't changed it again… last time they left me out here for three hours._ He entered the keycode and the door flew open. Several buster cannons also flew in his direction.

"So good to be home again." Virus said, with obvious sarcasm. Everyone lowered their guns and gave a sigh, half of relief, and half annoyed. Virus stepped in as the door closed behind him with a slam. Almost immediately, a familiar little red metool ran towards the sound.

"X!!!! YOU'RE BAAAA---!!" The enthusiastic little reploid stopped dumb in front of Virus. "Hey…. Where is he? Vi, where's X? Tell tell tell tell!!! Please?" Virus just patted him on the top of his helmet.

"He'll be back…"

"When will he be back?"

"Soon Rush, don't worry." Virus dropped his helmet on the little guy. "Hey, take that to my room for me, would ya?"

"Sure thing Vi!"

"Thanks." Rush took off with amazing speed. "Alright, who's gonna tell me where Ashes is, I need to talk to him." One of the lounging soldiers pointed in the direction of the simulator room.

Virus watched the new head commander train for a few minutes before he stopped the program to talk.

"What's up Virus, something wrong?"

"You could say that." The phoenix reploid stared into Virus' eyes.

"X… did he…?"

"Yeah."

"I see… Well, let's not speak of that. How did the mission go?" Virus brightened a little at Ashes' diversion.

"Well, we learned a lot. Whistler is being moved to the Alpha Lab tomorrow, and we'll have the perfect opportunity to rescue him at about noon, when the convoy will be in the canyons nearby. (Ok, what about Zero?) Well, Zero didn't look too good when we saw him. (Go on.) Well, we were being chased down by Doubledrive, and we ran past this lab. I wasn't going to look in until a red glint caught my eye. Through the window I could see Zero's armor on a table with some machinery around it, and… (and what?) Well, I saw Zero on another table… He was being taken apart by another machine, a-and much of his circuitry was exposed and being removed. We had to run after that short glimpse. He looked just like everyone said he did." Virus finished his dialogue with a downtrodden tone.

"I see…" the phoenix reploid seemed down as well, but both men were cheered by some all too familiar sounds. Both ran to the commotion.

"Alright! Who was it THIS TIME!?" A soaked female reploid wrapped in a blue towel was waving a handheld blaster at some soldiers outside her room. "Fess up! And I won't make it too painful. Hold out… and you can be sure you're going to be hurting for weeks!"

"Sapphire, calm down, I—"

"You shaddap! You probably stole 'em! Gimme back my clothes!" She proceeded to aim at Virus.

"Actually, I just got back so I couldn't have—"

"LIAR!" She fired a shot and Virus barely dodged it. The scared reploid clone then hid behind the phoenix. "I want my clothes back NOW, or I'm gonna shoot ALL OF YOU until I find them!"

"Uhhh… there' right over there Sapphire." One of the soldiers pointed to a pile of junk that End.Zero was soundly sleeping on, snoring like a child. Sapphire's clothes had been put on him in his sleep, but the underwear was left on his head.. She fired one more time, and nearly hit the sleeping clone, who sat up immediately.

A little shocked to find a bra and one more article on his head, he took a quick look around and everybody, except for the offended female, was laughing. He got a nervous look and took off down the hall, with a very angry woman chasing after him.

Everyone became silent for a moment then heard a loud crash, and saw Sapphire walk back fully clothed and dragging a senseless End.Zero with one hand. She dropped him back onto the junk pile and stormed back into her room.  
As soon as the door closed, everyone began laughing again, and laughter from inside the room could barely be heard as well.

"Alright guys, clear outta here." Everyone did as they were told, and Virus grabbed End by the shoulder and dragged him out of the area.

"What are we ever gonna do with you….?" The senseless robot twitched a little, as if in response.

When he got to their dorm, Virus opened the door and tossed End on his bed. He then started to take off his armor and get ready for some rest. Hunter was already sleeping, and End was as good as unconscious. Oh man…. _Tomorrow is gonna be tough._ He flopped onto his bed and almost immediately fell asleep.

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I know the whole gag is a little hackneyed, but it was just an afterthought to make this chapter longer than its screenplay version after abit of editing.

Reviews from the prologue:

**None so far…**

If I get some reviews I'll keep writing, or just write faster! XD


	3. Chapter Two: The Tides of War

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Two: The Tides of War**

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Hunter woke up before either of his brothers. He took a quick look and around and noticed that Rush hadn't left the room. _That's odd… he usually sleeps in X's dorm._ End was still twitching, and Virus seemed to be having troubled sleep. Hunter quickly dressed and put his armor on. He was about to wake Rush when Virus said something in his sleep.

"X…. I'll go… you… get back…. But… Fine… I will." He rolled over and Hunter could see the pained expression Virus wore.

_He must've… no he couldn't have… I'll have to find out. But first… _Hunter had a devilish grin on his face. He walked over to Rush. "Rush (No… no I don't wanna get up….) Come on Rush, it's time to get up (Five more minutes….) Rush… I've got candy!"

"CANDY!? Where where where where where!! (Shshshsh… Rush, I've got a job for you, then you can have the candy. Alright?) Okay." Hunter explained his prank to the little red reploid. Rush was so into the plan, that he could barely contain his laughter, but he managed to slip out of the dorm without waking either of the sleeping reploids. Hunter set about collecting their armor and clothes. He left each his helmet and his weapons, and shoved the rest under his bed.

"Why X… WHY…" Virus was talking I his sleep again.

_He must've had a rough day yesterday. Still, he's not escaping her revenge, I had an agreement. End is better off anyway, he's still got jeans._ Hunter started chuckling to himself a little as he reached for the light switch.

"GUYS GUYS!! Get up! Rush just stole your armor!"

"Wha…? My arm—my armor!!" End's reaction was nearly causing Hunter to bust out laughing, but he contained himself. End rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a thud that woke up Virus. Virus nearly screamed when he saw his armor missing, and he begged Hunter to tell him what was going on.

"Well, Rush snuck in and starting making off with your guys' armor. He started to go for mine, but I scared him away because I was awake. I have no idea where he's keeping it all, but he's got a pretty good head start on you guys."

"Hey! Where're my clothes now!?"

"What!? He took clothes too!?" Hunter checked his closet, which was full, but Virus and End had empty closets. "Hurry, go catch him, it's still early, I doubt anyone will see you." Virus and End took off down the halls in search of Rush. "What you don't know, is that everyone is supposed to wake up early on mission days." Hunter started laughing hysterically when he figured End and Virus would be out of earshot. "3…2…1…" Rush ran back in the room and Hunter heard a scream. "You took them by Sapphire's dorm? Good work!" And both of them started laughing at the thought of Virus and End being chased down by Sapphire. Hunter stopped laughing for a minute and stuck his head out the door to see if he could see anything. He was nearly shot as Virus and End came running by, followed closely by a red-faced Sapphire. Hunter just started rolling about on the floor hysterically. These shenanigans continued for about an hour until Sapphire got fed up with it. Hunter was still laughing when his two angry siblings came back into the dorm. They grumbled and cursed and put on clean clothes and their armors. They were about to pummel Rush and Hunter when a call came to their room that they were expected in the briefing room.

"Saved by the bird!"

"Just you wait Hunter, we'll get you back for this."

"Where's my CANDY!!??" Rush was ticked off and wouldn't shut up until Hunter found his box of candies and gave him one. Content, the little red reploid skipped out of the dorm towards one of his usual hangouts.

"We'd better get going." Hunter said as the three went jogging into the main room where Ashes was already finishing up a mission briefing.

"…now that we've got that outta the way, we need three volunteers. Any takers?" There was a quiet murmur of discomfort going around. "Ah, it seems we don't need any volunteers after all, our late arrivals should be just fine." Ashes let a small grin creep onto his face, causing the clone reploids to grimace a bit. "Alright everyone, dismissed, but you three, I'll need to keep you here to explain your job." There were some grunts and laughs, as well a few shaking heads, which only served to creep out the Zero clones even more.

Hunter gulped. "A-and uh… what would that be?" he said with a faked smile.

"You get to stop the convoy… from the ground."

Each of the clones gave an uneasy "Oh…" in unison as a response.

"Basically, all you have to do is get them to stop long enough for us to get Whistler out of the transport vehicle, or even better, if you feel up to it, disabling the convoy so we can take all of its spoils."

_[A very thought-filled hour later]_

They were all at the canyons in their positions by now. The convoy would be getting there very soon. Each passing minute seemed to wear more and more on Hunter. He knew that Virus had the toughest part of the job, and End had the easiest, but it didn't make it any easier to bear. He would still have to make sure he didn't do anything until the right time. He heard the sound of engines roaring towards them, and it made each passing second seem longer and longer.

At long last he heard the shot peal out and the sound of the truck swerving uncontrollably. Eventually the engine stopped, and he heard the sound of a group of reploids getting out of the truck. _Here we go…_

"I'm over here!! Come and get me fools!" Hunter jumped up as he yelled, making sure he got their attention, and punctuating his shouts with a shot from his buster cannon. "Uh oh… there's a few more than I though there'd be…" he added under his breath. He started running into the forest as fast as he could with no less than 50 enforcers following him, firing as they went. Hunter was screaming in obvious panic. End started his job of disabling the truck from beneath it while its guards were distracted.

That was when Virus started his job: Finding Whistler inside the massive convoy vehicle. It was also when the rest of the soldiers assigned began to siege the train-like vehicle.

End finished with his job at just the right time, because Hunter came running back --still screaming, still being chased. End went to reinforce him in taking out the enforcers.

_[After the battle, back at the base]_

"Whistler, wake up! Come on, wake up!!" Ashes was doing his best to wake up the unconscious reploid without hurting him.

"Let me try…(what? Oh, Rush… alright, give it a go.) Thanks!" Rush took in a big breath, "WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!" The sound was nearly deafening, but it got the job done. Whistler jumped and hit the ceiling when the little metool shouted. The little red reploid skipped off giddily as everyone else was rubbing their ears.

"Well… at least he got you awake. How do you feel?" Ashes smirked a little as the obvious answer came.

"A little shook up, not to mention this killer headache I've got--!!" Whistler panicked when he spied out one of the objects his friends had collected from the truck. "Why did you take this!?" He got up and ran to smash the little blue cylinder, but was stopped by End. "Let me go, we have to destroy it now!! (Calm down! Why do we have to break it?)" Even as End finished his question, the response came from outside.

A loud booming was coming from above them, and the ceiling was practically falling on top of them. "They tracked it!" Everyone got out of the crumbling room with haste.

Sapphire came over the intercom, "Evacuation warning! Everybody get only what you need, and get out! This is not a drill, leave!" The sound of her voice faded as the booming got louder. Everyone did just that.

The Zero clones ran to their dorm and picked up what few belongings they had and ran for the emergency exit. The booming stopped and Hunter recognized the sound of an invading army of enforcers.

"KYAAAAAA!!!!" Hunter nearly froze at the sound of Rush screaming in panic, but Virus had a more extreme reaction to it.

"Hunter, take my stuff, I'm going to save him! (But--!) Do it! I couldn't live with myself if he wasn't here when X got back, so keep going!" without another word, Virus took off down the hall towards the enforcers. Hunter and End kept running, hoping that their brother would make it out with them.

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And so it went that the entire story continued in the most unoriginal fashion imaginable.

Reviews from chapter one:  
**Still no reviews…**

But why should I complain? It has only been a few days. Anyway, this is planned out to be pretty long, even if the chapters are only a few pages long. I'm open to suggestions, as the storyboards still have a lot of blanks to fill, and the outline is still being messed with.


	4. Chapter Three: Outcast Again

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Three: Outcast Once More**

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The rush of feet and the screaming of soldiers who didn't quite get away fast enough filled the area. The entire group had been evading the enforcers all afternoon. The heat of the forest was becoming more than most of them could handle. Their forces had dwindled down to a minute group of soldiers. Only their most elite had been able to survive, and Virus was still nowhere to be found. End had to carry Sapphire, who's aqua-reploid design had not taken well to the heat. Hunter was helping Whistler walk, and the only person who wasn't affected by the heat was Ashes. Ashes was keeping a constant watch, very few of the class A Mavericks were left, and all of the Class S (except Ashes) were helping someone else keep going.

There was nowhere left for them to go. _There's nowhere left for us to go¡­ we'll be captured soon, and then everything will be different¡­_ End was having serious doubt about their chances of escape. _We've got to find someplace soon, otherwise¡­No, no I can't let these kinds of thoughts get to me!_ His mental struggle wasn't being helped by the sun, or the weight of Sapphire resting on his back.

A rush of birds alerted everyone to the enforcers. "Run! Get the injured out FAST, all the rest of you, stay here and help me!" Ashes barked the order before the footsteps were ever heard. End bolted forward, away from their position, and Hunter followed with Whistler hanging on to his shoulder. There was a lot of gunfire, the sound of mechanoids being destroyed never ceased. There was an occasional scream. "Hunter, there's a cave! Let's go in there! (But, they'll find us!) I don't care! We need to hide fast! (Alright, let's go!)"

The sounds never stopped, and the screams became less spaced apart. "HUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!! UGH¡­" End had fallen down a hidden trap-door, and hit something metallic. "End! Are you alright? (Well, I got thwacked by something, but I can't see anything. I think I--) End? End are you down there!?" A blinding light came from the trapdoor, and Hunter was thrown back by it. The ground began to shake, and the sounds of combat were slowly drowned out. The rear of the cave began to split down the middle. Hunter and Whistler aimed their weapons at the opening, and were amazed at what came through.

What looked like a flying teacup with a claw on the bottom came floating through the doorway, and End was sitting under its glass dome, looking panicked beyond all reason. "How do I get out of here!?" The claw flexed, and the machine dipped down a bit. "I think¡­ I think I've got the hang of this thing now¡­" They were all suddenly reminded of the battle outside the cave by a loud bursting of flames. "Shit! They're in trouble! End, we have to help them!" Hunter ran towards the sound. "Well¡­ maybe this will help some¡­" End carefully piloted the machine out of the cave towards the fight.

[Much fighting went on, and the machine proved very useful. The enforcers were all wiped out.]

Everyone was exhausted, and End had put the machine back where it had come from, and everyone went into the new complex they had found. Hunter kept watch for Virus as everyone explored the lab. "Who built this place, it's amazing! (I don't know, but whoever it was must've been a robotics genius!) I'll say!" It was much smaller than Dr. Cain's complex, and obviously much older, but with the bulk of their force killed in combat with the enforcers, there was no need for a large complex. There was enough room for all of the remaining Mavericks.

At length, everyone had gathered in the main room below the cave. "So, I'll assume everyone has chosen their quarters? (Yes, we have.) That is well. Whistler, detail our losses for me."

"Well sir, since I woke up, we've lost all 65 class C troops, 37 class B, and all the remaining A's."

"I see¡­" At that time, Hunter came into the complex with a badly wounded Virus slung over his back, and Rush barely conscious under his right arm.

"I got him out of there as soon as I could sir. (It's alright Rush, tell us when you're feeling better.) Thank you sir¡­" Rush fell totally unconscious then.

"Sir, Virus fought off a great deal of enforcers while he was saving Rush. Eventually there were too many and he couldn't get out himself. Rush grabbed him and ran, eventually they found our battleground, and that's where I found him. He wasn't moving anymore at that point. (I see¡­ I want everyone to get a lot of rest tonight. We've had a long day.)"

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And now, for your amusement¡­.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Advanced classes at school keep me busy over the summer, and I've been getting swamped recently. However, I've got a little spare time, so I wrote this chapter up fairly quickly.

Reviews from chapter two:

**Trunks Goddess** ¨C It'll all add up later, when another one of my characters gets introduced, but for now, you'll have to guess. But as for Zero dying, when did I say that? He's not technically dead¡­ 

**Vilestar** ¨C Thank you for your suggestions. While I don't think I'll use them in the actual story, they have given me some inspiration for a few nifty extras. 

Well, off again now, I'll have to come up with something for the next chapter soon, but with school starting in a few days, I'll probably be updating a little less. Well, Peace all!

Also, as an added bonus, I'll give one eCookie to whoever can guess who's lab we're in¡­.

Blues, bake some fresh cookies!

Proto: Yessir!


	5. Chapter Four: The Planning Room

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

Formatting issues, including those such as spelling errors and symbolic mistakes, are the fault of the browser and I will fix these problems as soon as I find out how to do so.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Four: The Planning Room**

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The remainder of the mavericks awoke late the next day, the reality of the day before setting in like a ton of bricks. The fatigue was gone, but the stress and pain were still there, making their feet drag, their breathing heavy, and their silence thick. What little speaking did occur was done quietly and quickly.

Late in the evening, Virus had everyone together in what he had called "The Planning Room." He seemed free of the mental fatigue that still gripped the others, in fact he seemed very edgy and hyped up. "You see, it has a hologram projector and scanning equipment..." his explanation of the equipment seemed to be just a prelude to what he wanted to get at, and everyone else wanted to know what that was. "...all controlled by a central computer mainframe with massive capabilities..." He was booting up the systems as he identified them. "...best part, being this." He flicked on one last switch and the hologram projector kicked on.

Slowly, almost painfully slow, a detailed image rendered in the middle of the room. The topography of the surrounding areas could be easily identified, and it seemed that every rock and tree had been included. "Now, just a few more commands and...." Suddenly, a series of red triangles appeared on the map. Most of them had the word "astynomia" printed above them, but some had different words. The triangles were moving in all different directions, rotating, shifting, and stopping, then moving again. Ashes was the first to realize what they were. "Enforcers!? (Precisely, but this one...)" Virus pointed to a red triangle with two black stripes and "pantodynamos" written above it. "This one has me worried. (What is it?) I'm not sure. I think... I think they may have cloned X!" There was a deep uneasy silence in the room.

Several minutes passed in fearful silence, and finally Ashes spoke up once more. "Why do you think this?" Virus thought for a moment, and then replied. "Well, it emits a strange wave pattern, similar to Hunter's, End's, and mine." He typed in a few commands, and the striped triangle showed up with a barrage of statistics. "But it's different. You see, X is four feet tall, End, Hunter, and I are also four foot tall. However, this one... is about five feet tall..." Virus got quiet all of a sudden. "It's power levels are far greater than X's or Zero's, and I don't think any of us would be able to take him down, even in groups... I think.... I think this will be the end of our long war..." the silence returned to the room. At length, virus spoke again, with more foreboding news. "For five hours now, this reploid has been making its way steadily toward our position, in a nearly straight line; we must find a way to defeat it. We don't have any way to make a counterwave here, so that won't work on it, but we have to find something quickly. I estimate it'll be here within three more hours."

Some faces were cast down, a few sighs breathed, and a curse or two uttered. The futility of their situation seemed immense. Everyone went sulking off back to their own dorms, in hopes of finding an answer to a question they couldn't understand. Virus stayed in the planning room to decide what would be the best course of action on his own, but his attempts were no less futile than anyone else's.

It was about thirty minutes after Virus' long speech that Ashes approached him again. "Virus, I think you were wrong. (What? About what?) About who. (who?) Yes, I don't think they would've made X's clone taller than himself. (What are you suggesting?) I think they cloned Zero again; it would explain why he was being dismantled, and why this new reploid is exactly as tall as Zero. (But why? They gave up on that years ago, why make another one?) To get rid of the failures." The tone of separation Ashes used left Virus dumbfounded. "But I think I have a plan. If we have any chance to win this war, we need to keep this place secret, and there's only one way to do that..."

Ashes' plan was acceptable to Virus. _If you have to die... die for your friends!_ "I'll do it."

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Disaster was on its way...

Reviews from chapter three:

**Darth** – In case my hints and summary weren't enough of a giveaway, yes the original Zero will be in this fiction, and he plays a major role. 

The evil cliffhanger has come!


	6. Chapter Five: The Foe Unknown

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Five: The Foe Unknown**

* * *

Virus was walking northward, toward the old junkyard that held the remains of reploids gone by. His morale was dropping fast, and his hopes for doing any good were seriously damaged. Eventually he made it to the junkyard.

He stared about in awe. Quickman, Gutsman, Magic Man, and other figures from the distant past greeted his eyes. His senses were overloaded, pushed beyond their normal limits at the sights. "KRZZT... Virus, you've got about a minute before he catches up to you. Get ready, you need to play your part expertly. Over. KRZZT." The old-fashioned radio-transmitter made a distinct impression in Virus' mind. Virus got into position, and prepared himself for the worst.

To his surprise, he only heard the heavy footfalls of the mysterious new clone, instead of the insane rumble of thousands of enforcers. He fell to his knees and began to crawl forward, acting as if he'd been left behind. The slow, drawn out thumping of the new clone's footsteps continued. It's non-terminating pattern terrified Virus.

_[Thump, thump, thump]_

After what seemed like hours of crawling, Virus heard the unmistakable sound: the charging of an arm-mounted plasma cannon. Virus turned around, and the sight froze him. In the slowly waxing light of sunrise, Virus could see the figure, standing tall and imposing. The brightly polished reflective armor collected all the brightness of the charging weapon. Virus captured the image of his killer in perfect detail. Every edge of his armor, every red accent in his hair, every fragment of plasmic energy seemed immortalized with the figure. Virus was terrified the most by something else however. The eyes.

The eyes burned with both compassion and rage. With pity and sadness, but with indifference and anger at the same time. Something was different about this clone, and Virus hoped it wouldn't be worse for all of his friends.

_[Bang]_

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Short chapter, I know. I've had some major writers block recently, and with the pile of homework I get from school, I don't have much time for writing. I planned to have this chapter longer, but I think it works well enough this length, and besides I don't have time to make it longer right now. Well, as always, R&R!

Reviews from Chapter Four:

**No new reviews**


	7. Chapter Six: Aftermath

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Six: Aftermath**

* * *

End sat --dumb --next to the hologram projector. A cold terror swept his frame as Virus' signal faded into nothingness and the signal from the new reploid slowly moved away. He didn't move. No one moved. A deathly silence filled the room. The world seemed to shut itself off from the tiny room in the archaic laboratory. The signals started to move away from the area, northward as the plan had been. The machine shut itself off when there were no signals left within range. Everyone just sat there, staring blankly where Virus' signal had last been.

The silence became thicker. It seemed to press in all directions at everything. Not a sound could be heard. Not a person moved. No effort was made to do anything.

At long last, after what seemed hours of dumbfounded stares, someone made a quiet sob. Then there was another and another. Soon the room was filled with tears. The team had had deaths before, but this was unlike the others. This was almost another Zero. The entire room was filled with mourning. Nobody tried to stop it, or comfort anyone else. They had lost a friend –a friend they thought would never die. They lost a friend they didn't want to die.

Soon, the tears of sadness turned to tears of blinding rage. The Empire had done this. The Empire had alienated them, outcast them, hunted them, fought them, killed them. There were shouts, cries, and fists. The room was utter chaos in the truest sense of the phrase. Every seat was overturned, every box was thrown, and every cuss was trumped. Then, very slowly it all came to order again. The fires still burning in their hearts, they replaced the chairs and boxes, and began forming their plans.

Every dastardly plot they could create was proposed, every sinister acts they could envision was discussed. Everything that was evil, coldhearted, and maverick was brought up. Soon the whirlwind only needed a direction, and the cities would fall. There were more shouts, more cheers, and soon they had their direction: Alpha Site –Sigma's capital.

Hunter switched on the hologram machine. They plotted a course to the suburbs of Alpha Site. They would take no prisoners. Every one of them had decided it was either triumph or death, and none would be swayed by any argument. Everyone grabbed the gear they would use.

Soon, everyone who was going was out of the cave, and marching at a frantic pace toward the city. Only two people were left behind, and it had been left to chance. They drew straws to see who would have to stay with Sapphire, who would not have done well in the sweltering heat. Hunter ended up losing. He was furious, but accepted his lot in the end.

Hunter sat in the planning room, watching as all his friends went to avenge his brother's death. The radio transceiver had been going haywire the whole time. Some of its pauses were long, others were short.

_[Short, short, short, short. Short. Short, long, short, short...]_

Eventually, Hunter noticed a pattern.

_[...short, long, long, short. Short, short. Long, short...]_

He ran the pattern through the hologram machine. It turned out to be an ancient coding system. The code was cryptic at first, and the machine took a long to translate it. In the end, it became "Help. I am still here. Help..." The message repeated into the nothingness that pervaded the room.

Hunter dropped the radio and ran to the exit. He yelled to Sapphire that he was going to the scrap yard as he left.

"_They've already left the contact area, but I need to know..."_ Hunter's thoughts were chaotic as he ran.

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Another short one, but a chapter none-the-less. Enjoy, and of course, R&R!

Reviews from Chapter Five:

**None**


	8. Chapter Seven: Hack and Slash

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones  
Chapter Seven: Hack and Slash**

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The group marched on, almost at a sprint, to Alpha Site. The rage still boiled in the veins. Soon the city came into view. They stopped and formulated a quick plan for their siege. They kept arguing about how to attack, and eventually came to compromise.

As they crept toward the edge of the city, a sense of fear crept into each of their minds; they were unfazed. Soon they were at Alpha Site's great outer wall. Ashes gave the signal and all at once, they began to take sections off with their weapons. Soon they were inside, wreaking havoc on everything inside. There were fireballs coming down from the sky, people fleeing and screaming with fear and adrenaline, explosions rocked entire streets.

The mayhem and damages were immense and all consuming, but there was not even a single death. Each reploid stayed his hand before killing another –these were, after all, civilians; innocent bystanders to the chaos Sigma had created –even in their maddened state, they could not, would not, slay the innocent, fore, if they had, would not Sigma's label truly fit?

In a matter of minutes, the entire southeastern sector was empty of all civilian life, and the most of the buildings had been razed. The scene was one of utter destruction. The empty expanse of rubble gave End the impression of a great arena, but what fight would take place even he could not tell.

'The enforcers will be coming soon.'

'Good. We'll take as many as we can handle. We'll show them how much they will lose.'

End heard footsteps behind him. He was away from the rest of the group, and he didn't know where they were exactly. He thought the enforcers had come for him already, but there were too few steps for it to be that. He turned around, and before him were two nearly identical reploids, alike in every way, but for their armors. One wore bronze colored block-style armor, and the other wore purple band-style armor.

'You are the maverick known as End.Zero. You will come with us immediately, or we will use force.'

'You bastards think you have a right to call me that?' The question was more of a statement than a question. 'I will not go with you. Not now, and not ever again.'

'Bastards huh? I'll have you know that my name is Hack. (and I'm Slash!) Our names are feared and respected as officers of Sigma's law. Already there are only three of you left! (Our ally is on the way to finish you off, but if you'd prefer, we could do that right now!)' Without waiting for an answer Slash, who wore the banded armor, drew his weapon and charged at End. Hack followed suit.

Primitive energy sabers greeted End's own, and he knew the two were excellent swordsmen –he also knew he was better. For several minutes, all three swords clashed and swung, hardly hitting anything. Hack and Slash were worthy opponents, and kept End busy defending himself.

End was so absorbed in the duel that he never noticed when his allies came to help him win –even less, did he notice the five battling reploids were being watched. Not too far off in the shadows, lurked the most hated enforcer of Sigma's law. Heero Doubledrive watched in ecstasy, as Hack and Slash were rendered unconscious; he would have a wondrous battle indeed.

He prepared his buster cannon for battle. Every fiber of his being was aching to attack the three mavericks before him, but something held him back –against his will.

'Think of what you've done.' There was a loud bursting noise, and Heero fell forward to his knees. Before he blacked out, he saw all three of his targets staring at him. Then he fell to the ground completely and forgot himself in the blackness of unconsciousness.

_Meanwhile_

Sapphire ran towards Alpha Site with both excellent and terrible news for all its attackers. She hoped she would get there before it was too late. The heat of the afternoon sun still pounded away at her, but she kept running for all she was worth. The gravity of what she had to say would affect everyone; even Sigma would feel its pull at his neck.

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I'm back, and while I had my major writer's block, I wrote up all this so I could update the story. Thank you to all my loyal readers! I'll diligently try to update more often ;;

You can expect some sideplots soon, as I'm certain a few of those will liven things up.

Reviews from Chapter Six:

**None**


	9. Interlude: A Hunter's Line

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Interlude: A Hunter's Line**

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Slowly, he came to. As his sensors adjusted to his new environment, he rose to his feet. All around there was an inky blackness, no light at all.

'Dark-light.' His voice sounded odd somehow, as if he hadn't really spoken, but he had heard himself speak.

As his vision restored itself to see in the blackness, he was struck by a scene that would have terrified any reploid –but not Heero. An endless field of countless reploids sprawled out from him. Each was dead and only minutes so. There had been a slaughter. He stood there, atop the bodies, wondering who had done all of this.

Suddenly, a light from behind him shocked his sensors. It was very bright, and his eyes were adjusting to accommodate it. As he turned around, he thought of who may be with it.

If there was only one thing that could terrify Heero, it was the reploid that confronted him now. Standing in the center of the light –no, exuding the light –was Heero's father. The black and orange battle armor was frightening to behold. It had been many years since Heero had seen his father, and yet it was not enough.

'Wicked son of mine! You behold your vileness and show no remorse, yet you see me and you cringe!' Immediately, Heero realized who had slaughtered the reploids on the ground. He had, over many years of serving Sigma. 'Insufferable wretch! I should have killed you long ago. You discard even your own name!'

'Your name is a joke!' He spoke angrily, but internally, he was frightened beyond imagination. 'A name like Forte Wily II is no name for a hunter!'

'You are right, Forte Wily II is not the name of a hunter; it is the name of a demon! Now I ask you once more, fight the evil that plagues the planet. Join my brother and his friends in combat against the malignance that grips people with terror.'

Heero had heard those same words before. He had heard them the day his father died –the day he had taken Sigma's honor of being lead hunter. His answer would be the same.

'Why won't you just stay dead!?' Heero readied himself for battle.

'I had hoped it would not come to this again. Now, I'm afraid I cannot let you live.' Forte's hand changed into a buster in a flash.

The two of them fought for a long time, taking much damage, and dodging many shots. Heero felt he was just toying with his father, weakening him. Heero thought he could win.

'Enough of this! This game has gone on long enough. It is now time for you to die.' Forte suddenly leapt into the air, and transformed into an even more powerful reploid. If Heero was terrified before, he was now glued with fear. Forte drifted back down to the ground, wings fully spread, and light shining brightly. 'This is a reflection of who I am. I doubt if you ever mastered this form, yours could be so powerful or divine.'

'Oh father, but I have mastered that technique, and mine is so much better!' Heero performed a similar move, though he became a monster like version of his former self. He let the power run through him; it was euphoric.

'Foolish boy. You have become so evil, that do not even resemble a human!' Just as Heero was about to raise his buster and attack, Forte had already fired three times. Heero died with contempt and evil. Forte was content; he had rid the world of another menace, and he could now rest knowing his son would cause no more harm.

As the battle of father and son raged within Heero's final dream, a battle had been raging outside. Soon, that battle would end, and another would begin.

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Well, another chapter for you all! I'll try to keep updating as much as possible, but school is starting again soon (finally) so it'll probably be another set of long waits between the chapters.

Reviews from Chapter Seven:

**Warp da Warp Liger** – Thanks for your support, I'll try to update some more soon. I think my writer's block is finally going away again! 


	10. Chapter Eight: Circumstantial Luck

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Eight: Circumstantial Luck**

* * *

End was having a furious time trying to block the attacks his new opponent was throwing at him. The attacks all seemed to be one continuous motion, but at the same time this new reploid was doling out punishment to End, he was also dodging and attacking Whistler and Ashes. How he could do it, End was not sure. _He fights like a demon! There's no stopping him… how…how can he anticipate all of our attacks at once? How can he do it at all!?_

Sparks of electricity shot out in all directions as the Hunter blocked energy shots and End's sword; they singed and burned, but they did nothing to slow the fighting or help anyone gain the upper hand. It seemed a standstill for the longest time. Finally, after what seemed an interminable age to End, one of the sparks from a blocked energy shot blasted swiftly at Ashes. The Phoenix reploid didn't even have a chance to dodge; he was struck in the eye, and for the split second he was distracted, their opponent took hold of the situation.

With a single mad cut, the mysterious new clone sent an energy shot rebounding at Whistler –he was knocked out cold. The attacks against End redoubled, and he couldn't count how many times his opponent's sword moved. In the new flurry of attacks, End was severely wounded. He lost his sabre and he had a terrible gash down his right arm. The mixture of fluids curious to reploid bleeding clouded his eyes and he thought he would die, but he saw something in the Hunter he hadn't expected. His eyes seemed to scream for forgiveness, as one who is forced to do something against his will.

End lay still and motionless on the ground. He could see Whistler still breathing, but laboriously and his breath was short. The Hunter had struck down Ashes –the great bird writhed upon the ruins for a moment, and was at last still. End let his mind stray to the Hunter again, who was now bearing down upon him with sabre upheld. End saw the eyes again; they were still full of sorrow, and he imagined he even saw a tear well up for a moment.

The Hunter was about to strike. End tensed up, sensing the imminent blackness that would encompass his circuitry. Just as he thought the blade would slice him for the last time, he heard a familiar and fearful voice. "Stop." End looked up through his blood-covered eyes. He saw the Hunter staring somewhat confused and a little dazed at the newcomer. End raised his hand slowly and fired a single shot. The Hunter went out in an instant, and end looked over. He saw Sapphire standing afraid and confused in the heat, and he saw Hunter run up beside her, pause for a moment, and continue on towards him. As the blackness of fainting overwhelmed him, he thought he even saw Virus hobbling up as well, but he wasn't sure.

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OMG! A Chapter! It's scary, I know, but I actually updated! You'd be surprised how much STUFF people can find for me to do around here…

Reviews from Interlude One:

No Reviews… 


	11. Chapter Nine: The Calm

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Nine: The Calm**

**

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**

Three reploids lay on tables next to each other, and a fourth on another table separate from the others. The first was End. He had massive injuries from the fight and was still unconscious. The second was Whistler; it was unlikely he would wake up anytime soon, or any time at all. The third was The Hunter –the new clone. Every resource was being expended on the first two, and it still seemed the third would recover first.

Virus still couldn't figure out why he'd taken the new clone along. After all, he had killed one of his best friends: Ashes, the Phoenix Reploid. End and Whistler wore faces of agony and fear; they were probably reliving the horrendous battle in their dreams. The Hunter however, had an inscrutable face –one that seemed to still hold its indifference. Virus stared at him for a long time, trying to see if he could find out anything new about him.

From their first examination, they had determined that this was not just a clone, but a rebuilt reploid, utilizing original parts from Zero himself. Most of the combat data, and nearly all of the armor had been taken, modified, and attached to Sigma's newest killing machine. What little of his code Virus could decipher led him to believe that this reploid had his own original code, but it contained nothing of Sigma's handiwork; the rest of the code was encrypted heavily –almost to a point that it was mere programming gibberish.

His auto-recovery systems were highly advanced. They were obviously experimental technology. They seemed to be ignoring something for some reason however. One of the chips damaged in the blast from End's buster had so far been completely left alone. Virus could only guess at the purpose behind it.

It was very late, the sun was due to rise in just a few more hours, and the Empire was combing every square inch of the countryside –likely in an effort to find them, and to retrieve their prize war machine. Things looked grim for the now even smaller group of resistance fighters. Just a few days ago, their numbers had been in the hundreds –now there were five of them, and likely soon, none.

Suddenly, The Hunter's face twitched. Virus nearly fell flat on his back with surprise. He looked back, and the face was indifferent and cool again, but he felt it had somehow changed. He stared again for a long time; he found himself seeing both rage and despair at the same time, both somehow surfacing and yet still hiding. Virus calmed down again, he walked over to the door and stopped. _One shot… just one shot and I won't have to worry…_He turned around and walked back to the table that held The Hunter. _Just one…_

"It's rude to stare you know." Virus jumped with a powerful force and rammed into the ceiling. When he came back to his senses, he saw The Hunter sitting on the edge of the table, looking as if he expected an apology. Virus was too dumbfounded to do or say anything. The Hunter let out a mighty laugh, "I suppose I should be apologizing to you, not the other way around, but do understand, it is nerve wracking to be watched for six hours constantly… though it's really nothing in the long run." The Hunter seemed to be expecting some kind of reply. Virus attempted to speak, but it was all he could do not to faint. "Not much of a talker are you… well, I guess I'd better put things right, but I can't exactly do that with just you here. I happen to remember two others besides the two on the table here. Fetch them. Go on, go on, no harm will befall any of you, now get going."

Virus seemed to get up against his own will. He walked out into the hall and got the others. Virus had considerably more control over himself now. He quickly said to them not to be alarmed, but to be on their guard. When they got back, they saw The Hunter looking at End –the latter no longer having an expression of terror.

"Be at peace, I mean you no harm. I feel I have a little explaining to do –"

"You're damn right you have some explaining to do! You think we trust you because you tell us we won't be harmed!? You killed our friend, and severely wounded these two!" Hunter was irate at the new clone.

"These two will recover soon –I've given them some of my backup repair nanobots. As for your other friend… I'm sorry. I know it's not enough, but it's all I can do is say it. And you," he pointed at Virus, "terribly sorry about hobbling you, but again, I am sorry. I know it won't do any good, but I feel I must explain why I did these things to begin with." The Hunter removed the unrepaired chip from under his armor vest and threw it on the table. "This is what forced me. Sigma learned something from the Doctor, but as it would seem, not enough. This chip would have destroyed me and the entirety of Alpha Site if Sigma felt I was betraying him, and with that many lives at stake, I couldn't allow that to happen. I had no desire to hurt you in any way, but I had no choice." The Hunter stared blankly at the wall for a moment and spoke as if entranced. "Another wrong I shall have to make right… my life seems an error in and of itself, but with these capabilities… I may be able to resolve…" He suddenly snapped back into focus. "I cannot repent for what I have done, both to you and your movement, and so I leave my punishment in your hands."

Hunter was disarmed by the reploid's speech, and Virus was a little shocked, but Sapphire still seemed to have her reservations about The Hunter. She spoke up next.

"What's your name then. That's first. What do we call you?"

The question seemed to catch him off guard. "I was designated Omni.Zero by Sigma. (Yes, yes, but what is your name?) Before that, I was called DWNX-02, and before that I was designated DRN-016, but I cannot tell you my name."

"And why is that?" Her persistence on the subject of his name seemed to make Omni.Zero agitated, but he remained calm and collected.

"For reasons that I cannot tell you. Just know this: No history can forget me, and no present should remember me."

No one was satisfied with his answer. Hunter was just about to speak up in protest to it when End seemed to be coming around to consciousness. Virus was amazed he had repaired so quickly, but he rushed over all the same.

"You all should rest; you've been through a harrowing time at my expense, and some way or another, I'll make it up to you."

"You can start, by watching the radar hologram, and tell me if you see anything unusual." Hunter's vehemence didn't even seem to phase Omni. Somehow, Omni knew his way around the facility as if he'd lived in it his entire life –that scared the others.

"I'm going to watch him. I still don't trust him one bit." Sapphire quickly ran off before Hunter or Virus had a chance to deny her statement.

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♫dun dun DUUUNNN!! ♫ A chapter! This story really seems to be leaving the plan I had for it in the beginning. Oh well, hopefully now that it's winter break, I'll have some time and inspiration and write another chappie or two. 

Reviews from Chapter Eight:

**None…**

I'll get some new reviews, if it's the last thing I doooooooo!!!! ºfalls to the ground on a nuke cowboy-styleº


	12. Chapter Ten: The Gathering

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Ten: The Gathering**

**

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**

Things seemed much different in the morning. Omni had stayed watch the entire night, and had nothing to report. Sapphire had stayed with him, to keep an eye on him she said. End and Whistler had made full recoveries in almost no time at all thanks to Omni's spare nanobots. Hunter still had some reservations, but Virus had spent three hours drilling questions at Omni and had come to trust him. He still hadn't told them much of anything about his past, and it didn't seem he was going to willingly.

"I think now is –" Hunter was cut off by an alarm sounding. The entire group ran to the massive holographic display to find that a massive wave of the Empire's enforcers were sweeping the area, probably looking for Omni and the rest of them. The main group was still a long way from their current position, but they would arrive in no less than three hours.

"This is terrible! What will we do!? They'll be here soon, and when they get here, I'm sure they'll find us!" End was panicking. Hunter gave him a sharp smack across the face.

"We'll have to fight them…"

"But --but, they'll kill us! There are too many!" Hunter hit him again.

"They'll do it faster if you're going to panic!"

"Ahem." Omni had something to say. "I believe I have a solution that will fit our needs effectively." Hunter stared contemptuously at him.

"Why should we listen? Our situation is hopeless as it is!"

"Not true." Omni remained calm, though Hunter was positively seething with anger. "It is true that if we stay here, we will be overrun, but I see this mobilization as a gift." Everyone else in the room was stupifyed. Virus was the first to speak up.

"How is this a gift?"

"Allow me to explain…"

Things were abuzz at Alpha Site. Sigma was angry, and when Sigma got angry, things went from bad to worse for everyone. He had dispatched the entire Enforcer army to find the final traitor dubbed "Omni.Zero". His scientists had projected that his newest project would take several more months to complete, but he ordered it finished today.

"L –l –lord Sigma, th –the prototype is finished." A terrified lab technician delivered the news to Sigma.

"See to it that it will not fail me! I demand assurance!"

"I –I'll get th –the docu—" Sigma fired a blast of energy and killed the studderring reploid.

"I'll get them myself." He stormed down the vacant hallways to the room where the scientists were madly trying to finish 'Project X-II'. "Which of you is in charge!?"

"I am, your lordship." A tall reploid wearing a white labcoat stepped forward."I am informed the project is complete, where is the proof that this _thing_ will not malfunction!?"

"Right here, your lordship." The reploid produced a packet of paper with code on it. "It's hardcoded into this one."

"Good. I want this ready to dispatch within the hour."

"Yes your lordship."

Omni had finished explaining what he planned.

"We either die here and take a few enforcers with us, or we do some real damage." There was general agreement among everybody. "Then we should go now."

"Alright, just let me take care of something first. Then, I'll be ready to leave, Omni." Omni nodded at Virus. Virus stood up and walked down the hallways to the room he had bee using. He looked around for Rush. "Hey Rush. Rush, where are ya?"

"Wha--? I'm over here." Virus walked over to Rush and picked up the small robot.

"Hey Rush… we're going to be leaving again, but this time, nobody's gonna be here to keep you company. So, I need you to do something for me, alright?" Rush made the peculiar motion of a nod. "Ok, I want you to hide Rush; hide until I get back, but if I'm not back in the next two days… then you need to get away from here –far away from here. Alright?"

"You'll be back soon though, right? And X too, right? He's been gone a long time, and he told me he'd play games with me when he got back." Virus couldn't help but smile at the childlike innocence that only Rush still had.

"I hope so Rush. Now, I need you to promise me that you'll do everything I've said. Okay? Promise me"

After some delay, Rush promised, and Virus got back up and walked to the door. "Good-bye Rush." After he sad good bye, Virus walked back to the rest of the group. "Alright, we can go now."

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Reviews from Chapter Nine:

**Nobody** - Oh well, I'll just have to see if I can't snake a few moer reviews with the next few chapters, because that's all that's left. This story is going to wrap up right quick in the next few chapters.


	13. Chapter Eleven: The Storm

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones **

**Chapter Eleven: The Storm**

**

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**

The group was laying low. Along with the massive deployment of enforcers there had come scores of experimental new designs. They looked larger and more powerful in all regards. No one made a sound; no one moved. The large group they were hiding from passed, and they continued onward again.

Omni had them divided into two groups: the first group consisted of Hunter, End, and Sapphire; the second of himself, Virus, and Whistler. They would stay together as long as possible, and if they needed to separate, they would remain in the two groups. Each one of them had resolved to take as many servants of the Empire with him or her as possible should it come to such circumstances.

They had come to their first waypoint: the entrance to Alpha Site's archaic sewer system. Each descended in turn, and the last closed the sewer lid behind him. The group marched on, through the rank, aged sewers, the only noise breaking the decrepit silence was their footsteps in the old wastewater.

After a long time, they came to their second waypoint: the sewer exit within Sigma's fortress-like laboratory. So quietly that not even the most powerful sensors could hear, and so slowly that even the sharpest eyes could not see, End raised the lid enough to survey the room. It looked abandoned –the lights were out, there were no sounds of cameras oscillating on their axis, there was no hint of anyone ever using this room. Just as stealthily as before, End slid the lid away from the access hole. He affirmed his thoughts –there were no cameras, but the room was very small.

Everyone carefully made way out of the sewer. When Sapphire came out, she informed everyone that this was a garbage heap. Her sight modifications that allowed her to see in the deepest of water made the room clearly visible to her. There was an exit beyond a large pile of waste, and a chute in the ceiling. The light fixtures were broken, and the only camera in the room was ancient and not in working order.

The group made its way over the massive garbage pile to the exit of the room.

"No turning back now lads and lass."

"There never has been Whistler, it's time we looked at it that way."

_ Just moments later, in the main control room_

"BACKUP! WE'RE GETTING OUR A—" The security officer's voice abruptly cut off mid-syllable. The sudden silence weighed on the room with a palpable force. Somehow, six mavericks –powerful mavericks –had snuck into the deepest recesses of the base, and were wreaking havoc on the minimal security forces. They were walking through the guards as if they were cobwebs in a building too long forgotten.

The main troop contingents had been recalled, but would not arrive in enough number quickly. A full hour would be needed to recall every troop, and that's only if the main teleportation rooms, and the experimental Trans Server room were held. Already the mavericks had disabled or destroyed three sub-level teleportation rooms. They were fast making their way to the Experimental Weapons Complex –if that fell, there'd be no telling what destruction they might cause. Casualties already numbered in the hundreds, and would only grow with time. Something had to be done quickly.

Over the comm. system, Sigma's booming voice filled the room. "Send in my newest weapon! Issue the order! Immediately, one of the comm. officers relayed the order. A scientist came back through the line. 

"It'll take ten minutes to get it booted up properly."

"You've got five, and you had better hope it isn't too late by then."

_ Back to the carnage_

The group fought onward, destroying robots at every turn, killing reploids down every hallway, razing rooms as they passed the doors. Every last resource was being played against them, and they knew it. At long last, they had arrived at their main objective: the EWC, Experimental Weapons Complex. They would be able to do the most damage from here –if they could get in the doors that is.

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OMG! A chapter **and** a Review! Provided that too much stuff doesn't happen within the next week I may even finish the story by Friday, however, that is speculation.

Reviews from Chapter Ten:

**Reviewer** – First of all, thank you. These past two weeks have been very trying, and your encouragement is very welcomed. I will definitely do my best to keep up the caliber of work I have thus far created.

And to the rest of you, post a review, there isn't much time left! . .

I'll hopefully be back with the next chapter soon, and then this story will be that much closer to the end. Keep hooked readers, we're almost there.


	14. Chapter Twelve: Chaotic Gale

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero **

**Clones Chapter Twelve: Chaotic Gale**

**

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** Weapons blazed from both ends of the short, antechamber-like hallway. The weaker Enforcers were quickly falling at the hands of the immeasurably strong group that now invaded Sigma's realm. The officers were losing control, and the droves of Enforcers could not hold their line. When in open spaces and pursuing these reploids, the Enforcers had been terrible, malignant foes; but now, when faced with only six foes, they could do nothing to protect themselves. 

In the confusion caused by the scattering of the Enforcer defense line, the group of Mavericks closed the distance between themselves and the EWC. They were now in the center of the machine that had caused so much devastating change. While the others fought off the incoherent mass of metallic soldiers, Virus consulted a directory on the wall, to get a bearing on their next objective. If they were to have a chance at success, they would need to accomplish two things: bolstering their own ranks, and cutting off enemy reinforcements.

"Two floors down! Main Trans-Server!" Virus yelled over the din of battle to Omni. "One floor up! 'Project X-II' –that's likely where they have X!" Omni nodded quickly and shouted to the group.

"We're splitting up! My group is headed down two floors to sever their reinforcement lines! You head up one floor and get X! Got that?"

"As good as there!" End gave his response and quickly began edging toward a nearby stairwell, telling Hunter and Sapphire to go with him. Omni, Whistler, and Virus provided covering fire until the other group was up the stairs.

When they reached the top of the stairs, something seemed wrong. The sounds of battle were thunderous from below, but this floor seemed cavernous in its emptiness. There were no guards, no autocannons –nothing seemed to be here at all. End lead the way cautiously down the narrow hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was a single large door with a plaque that read "Project X-II'. The ominous silence grew heavier, and the immense metal door stood as sentinel against the insurgents. Within mere moments, it was open and the three were inside.

The weighty silence grew dense as the battle below seemed to fade away. The lights slowly turned on, dim at first, but brightening gradually –as if they hadn't been used in a long time. When it seemed the lights would get no brighter, they blew out completely, and only one light was left intact. The group slowly edged its way toward the light. There, under the cold glare of a phosphorescent bulb lay X, bedecked in all his armor, sleeping. There were no machines around him, no guards, and no traps. Hunter gently roused X from his rest. The older robot stirred slightly, and then awoke fully.

"Where's Zero? Have you found him yet?" Everyone in the group had known that Zero would be the first person X wanted to know about, but they had all hoped they were wrong. End lowered his eyes and shook his head. X's enthusiasm died away visibly at the response. X was about to speak, when there was a blast from the other side of the room.

The wall of the room was lined with floating red lights it seemed, and there was a sea of them behind that wall. The Enforcers had set up a trap. Suddenly, the room flooded with light. Among the innumerable robotic police, was a very unusual reploid. It looked precisely like X…

_ Meanwhile…_

Virus thought that the other group must have reached the top of the stairs by now, and that his group must now being its descent. With a simple Signal to Omni, they began to fall back to the stairs that lead down, further into the EWC. The Enforcers were beginning to regroup behind them as they went down the stairs. They met no rest two flights down either, as Enforcers were simply pouring out of the Trans Server room.

They fought very hard, constantly turning from the Trans room to the stairs. Within minutes, the group was surrounded completely. Whistler managed to clear a path to an alcove that they could defend more easily. It was a vain attempt however. No matter how hard they fought, there seemed too many Enforcers for them to ward off. They were already fighting as hard as they could, and they were losing ground –quickly.

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Well, I did misjudge my timeframe (can't help it if my teachers decide to go hellnutz on me at random times), but I'll keep trying to update as frequently as possible. 

Reviews from Chapter Eleven:

**No one**

Well, I'll keep trying, even if no one is interested at all, or people just plain don't like it, I'll still keep updating whenever I can. But please, take the few seconds (or minutes) it may take to click the review button and post some snippet. Even a "good job" or "needs work" would be nice (though the 'why' about that would be nice too ;; ). I'll be back readers!


	15. Chapter Thirteen: Enter the Madmen

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Chapter Thirteen: Enter the Madmen**

**

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**

Standing in front of X, among the sea of Enforcers, was X, or at least another who seemed like X. The two reploids were alike in every regard: eyes, height, build –but when the newcomer spoke, one knew exactly who was who.

"Let's play a game." There was a maniacal gleam in the copy's eyes, and a wicked smile on his lips. "I win, you die. You win -we all die. The rules are simple –whoever dies first, is the loser." The X clone loosed a mighty bellow and charged the small group in the middle of the room; the enforcers followed close behind.

Without a moment's hesitation, X met his copy in close battle and fought with all the strength he had. The others in the room did their best to stop the endless waves of enforcers from overrunning their position where X fought his duplicate.

Virus kept up a constant hail of energy blasts against the enforcer masses, taking out small groups of three and four with every shot. He could hear fleeting cries of pain from X, the others, and the copy, but those faded as quickly as they came, never staying more than a second. At one point, his buster cannon was so overloaded from the constant fire that it looked as though it would melt into his wrist. The pain was terrible.

When he thought he could take no more, Virus caught a glimpse of X fighting the duplicate. The two were singed from boot to hair from point-blank energy blasts, they had bruises and cuts of all kinds on every inch of their reploid skin. The copy seemed to be taking a grotesque pleasure in torturing X, and being tortured equally in turn. It was a grim sight, but Virus knew that if X would take that kind of a punishment from his enemies and not stop fighting, then he too would have to bite down and bear the pain.

'_The lives of the few remaining humans balances precariously in our hands…_' Virus had not considered the human lives involved until just then. He knew that if they failed in their endeavors, the last remaining human hideouts, if indeed there were any left at all, would be systematically hunted down and eradicated. Virus would not allow that. With renewed strength, he began to fight harder, taking down more and more enforcers along the way.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, Virus heard a terrible scream. It sounded almost like X, but there was a trace of pleasure in it that could only mean it had emanated from the artificial throat of the copy. Wheeling in time to see the copy fall, Virus blasted his way back to the small group he had come in with. When he got to the group, Whistler looked genuinely worried for him. He noticed that the blaster had indeed melted into his wrist, but he felt no pain from it now, his autorecovery systems cutting off the return-impulses from the hand.

The enforcers stopped about twenty feet from the group of reploids. It was only after each had settled that the copy spoke again. "You win. Hehehehaha… And now… you die!" The horridly disfigured copy howled a mighty cackling, and began to glow –the first sign of a powerful self-destruct mechanism.

Acting on impulse alone, Omni started frantically slicing a hole in the floor. The enforcers rushed at the group again. X, Virus, and Whistler all held them at bay for what few seconds Omni may have needed. Within seconds of starting, Omni had sliced a clean circle in the floor, and was throwing X into it, jumping in himself just afterward. Virus and Whistler fell through together with no time to spare.

Just as the small quartet scattered on the floor below, the copy's self-destruct mechanism ignited, incinerating the enforcers in the room, and blasting superheated air through the tiny opening in the floor. After recovering from the slight shock, the four had a quick moment to get a hold of themselves on the desolate floor. The sounds of battle drifted up the stairwells to their ears, and they instantly began to run to them.

There were no enforcers guarding the stairs. Every last ounce of enforcer might seemed to be pointed squarely at a single alcove. Virus could see his friends struggling to hold their hopeless position, mere yards from the Trans. room. When extra firepower came from the previously unblocked stairs, the enforcers started to lose ground on their enemies instead of gain it. Within seconds of their arrival, Virus and the others had successfully taken back the hallway, and with the help of End, Hunter, and Sapphire, they were beginning to close on the Trans. room.

Enforcers never ceased to come through the wide-open doorway, walking into an equally ceaseless hail of weapons fire. It seemed there would be a stalemate at the entryway, until a lucky shot from Hunter took out sixteen enforcers simultaneously. This short pause was just enough for the small invading force to enter the Trans. room.

Once inside, they blasted at the large, bulky machine in the center of the enormous laboratory. There was another massive explosion, but the innumerable fallen enforcers prevented the bulk of the blast from effecting the insurgents. When the dust settled, there were only a handful of scientists in the room, obviously only trained to maintain the machine.

"Are you armed?" Whistler's voice had a slightly menacing tone to it. The uniform reply came, "No." With that, the group of reploids turned to the door. They walked down the now silenced hallways, looking for any evidence of Zero. X seemed to be moving with purpose, as if he knew where Zero would be.

When they came upon a gigantic room that stretched two floors upward, X halted. The lights were dim from all the explosions, but X could tell, this was where he had seen Zero before. On the far wall, there was an enormous window. Almost reverently, X walked up to it, the others following close behind. Three out of the group of six reploids had never seen the legendary hero of X's memories; only X and Sapphire had ever known the red reploid, and Virus had seen him only once. Hunter and the others had a fairly good idea as to what Zero looked like –after all, they were all based on his design.

X stopped a few feet short of the window looking dumbfounded. The group closed on the window, and saw that Zero was not inside. It was heartbreaking. They had fought so hard, and come so far, to find their champion missing. X destroyed the window with his fist, and climbed through it. He looked around. It was, unmistakably, the same room he had passed before. The machine was there, the table was there, the massive computer array –this was the room, but Zero was nowhere to be found.

In the far corner, the was a red light above a dimly illuminated switch. The plaque above the switch read "garbage lights", and the red bulb was next to "off". Slowly, in a dreamlike manner, X flipped the switch. Behind him, an archaic light bulb that swung from a cord flickered into life. With the dim glow it provided, the group could see that the garbage pile was nearly empty, save for a large object covered in a heavy brown canvas.

With a mixture of hope and terror, X slowly drew the canvas back enough to see a portion of what was under it; the sight both frightened and gladdened him. Zero, his friend and fellow hunter, was beneath the canvas, but his face was bruised and his hair had been cut short. He looked as though he had aged greatly, though aging was impossible for reploids. With a shaking hand, X tried to rouse Zero from sleep.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zero's breathing became steady and normal, and he awoke. When he saw X, Zero gave a weak smile, but then his expression changed violently. His face became contorted in pain and he convulsed. X was terrified, and so was the rest of the group. Omni seemed impassive, his expression inscrutable. When Zero regained control of himself, he looked at the others in the room. The sight of his duplicates seemed to make him insane, and without so much as a word, he stood and jumped directly upward into a ventilation duct.

No one had expected that, nor had any of them thought Zero capable of such a feat. The ceiling was at least twenty feet up. X felt tears well up in his eyes, and from behind him, Omni's voice came flatly and uncompassionate.

"Irregular Madness. A rare side-effect of Maverick Virus exposure." The group stared bewildered. "Sigma has been experimenting with the virus for many years now, hoping to unlock all of its secrets. His experiments have killed hundreds, with only six cases of Madness; each occurred after very long periods of exposure…" Omni let his sentence trail off.

After a long pause, X spoke. "And?" Omni closed his eyes and shook his head.

"100 percent fatality rate. Zero may not be affected the same way however… he is the… source of the virus." X seemed appalled; he had never seen this reploid before now did he think that Zero was the source of the evil Maverick Virus. "It was likely our presence that threw him to Madness… it requires a sort of catalyst."

A loud crash stole everyone's attention from Omni to the room behind them. Two short reploids, armed to the teeth in heavy weaponry, had deliberately gotten their attention.

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Woo! A both a chapter _and_ a review! Things are looking up!

Reviews from Chapter Twelve:

**Reviewer** – Thank you very much for your review. I will endeavor to make these last few chapters as powerful as all the previous ones.

What is this mysterious Madness, and how will it affect Zero? Who are these two war machine reploids? Can our heroes recover from their shock? Will there be a climactic battle? How will X handle the situation now that his hero is certifiably insane? Will this cliché continue indefinitely? Will this narration run on another few sentences? Find out, when I find time to write the next exciting chapter of: Titanium Showdown!


	16. Chapter Fourteen: Destruction Duet

Disclaimer:

I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the page.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Chapter Fourteen: The Destruction Duet**

**

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**X's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the two heavy-duty reploids confronting his group. One was bedecked in blue, the other in red, and both were just slightly shorter than X. A small group of large, powerfully built ride-armors stood behind them. 

"I see you've already found your friend."

"A piteous sight, is he not?" The two spoke in an alternating pattern, the blue armored one speaking first.

"His own design."

"It was inevitable."

"His death will be quick."

"Right after yours." The reploids each took a step forward. "How dreadfully rude of us, we forgot to introduce ourselves. We are the twins Bit,"

"Brother Mega Bit."

"And Sister Terra Bit." The two took a bow after stating their names. Then they began to speak simultaneously in a terrifying harmony of voices that wrought X's fears further.

"We are the children of your old friend, our late father, Vile. We can see Mr. X remembers him only too well." Their unified voices resounded as if Vile himself were speaking. "You've killed him twice, and we'll make sure you go to him, so he can kill you after us, over and over again! Prepare yourselves, we make ready for battle!"

Terra Bit, the red armored of the two, jumped into the empty ride armor and began to charge the group. They suddenly snapped back to reality from the daze the dialogue had instilled in them, scattering in every direction. Meanwhile, Mega Bit was chasing down X, drawing him, very successfully, into a one-on-one match.

_Meanwhile_

Zero had crawled for an interminable amount of time. He had completely reawakened, and he was starting to slowly regain his control over himself. In a few more moments, he had total control again, but he still did not quite seem himself. He didn't know where he was, or what he had even been doing crawling in a ventilator shaft. There was light coming from somewhere a little ways down the shaft, so he started to crawl to it.

Through the thin grating, he could see that he was over some kind of laboratory, and he could see an unattended computer running a diagnostic of some kind on some equipment labeled "Experimental." Zero realized his state of vulnerability, and quickly forced his way through the vent into the room. IT was dark, but there was a glow coming from the monitor. He jammed on a button that read "Abort," and a pod of some kind rushed up in front of him. Inside, there were a few items that looked useful to him. The uniform seemed a little large, but he found that after putting it on, it shrank to fit him perfectly. He also found a weapon, eerily similar to his own Z-Sabre. The last he had known, Sigma hadn't had Z-weapon technology, but Zero knew that the last time he had checked, he had been the subject of countless experiments. He stole his new armaments and saw another room attached to the one he was in. Above the door, there was the inscription "Monitor". He went inside, and discovered a grim sight. The camera was very fuzzy, and it was in black-and-white only, but he could clearly see X and a group of other reploids fighting off massive ride armors and a small war-machine reploid.

Zero panicked, and lost control of himself again. He went back into the ventilator shaft, and started running to where he thought he heard the sounds of combat. He rounded a corner, and could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet, in fact, all he could feel was a rush of hot air that meant he was falling –quickly, and towards something hot.

_Elsewhere Still_

"Lord Sigma, the children of Vile have X at bay, and we have just noticed that Zero fell into the incinerator shaft. I believe it is safe to assume victory will be ours."

"No…" Sigma spoke sternly, collected, altogether differently than his earlier anger. "No, victory can never be taken for granted with X. Even this weak, I've seen him defeat my best plans before. No, I will take care of him myself."

"But sir… don't you think that is an unnecessary risk? I mean, after all –" A blast from Sigma's plasma buster removed the ensign's head from his shoulders.

"Every risk is a necessary risk." Sigma walked casually down the hallways, toward the room where his ultimate prey awaited him. He would, at last, have his revenge.

_Finally, back to our heroes_

Every few minutes, the group would manage to take down one of the lesser ride armors, but Terra Bit managed to keep them all too busy to help X. When Mega Bit got a little wore out, the twins Bit would do an elaborate, yet swift change of places, and it would be Terra Bit fighting X, and Mega Bit occupying the group. Missiles were exploding, grenades were igniting, sabers were crossing, and fists were flying, and after no less than fifteen solid minutes of fighting, they managed to destroy the Bit Twins' ride armor.

Just as it seemed the Twins would lose the fight, a massive wave of enforcers filled the room. As elaborately as their place changes had been before, the Twins Bit moved through the air to the front of the line. Painfully slowly, the wave of robots pushed X and his companions back into a corner, leaving about fifteen feet of space between the Bit Twins, and the Zero clones.

X was a battered mess by now. His battle against his copy had weakened him considerably, and the sustained fight against the Bit Twins had nearly drained him completely. He was being supported by Whistler and Sapphire, whom both had their fair share of damage. There was a wicked din from the enforcer mob, and the Bit Twins were having a little difficulty getting all the attention on their 'act.' Speaking again in the frightening mixture of voices that evoked the voice of the long-dead Vile, the Bit Twins delivered their parting words.

"And now, for the Coup-de-grace!" They were holding hands and performing a wickedly powerful looking technique, but before they could finish, two shots rang through the air, and then, there was silence.

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Sorry it took so long for me to update, I've hardly had any break from my schoolwork the past weeks, and I just finished this chapter up. I hope you enjoy it, and please, leave a review! 

Reviews from chapter thirteen:

**None**

I think one review a chapter would be a reasonable goal… don't you? Contribute! Or else I may have to sic the enforcers on you! comically evil glare!


	17. Chapter Fifteen: Discourse of Tyranny

Disclaimer: Megaman and all related content is not mine; they, albeit somewhat regrettably, belong to Capcom Ltd. But don't even think about stealing my original characters! Just ask first, and give credit where credit is due. Onwards!

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Chapter Fifteen: Discourse of Tyranny

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Silence pervaded the room, ad the Enforcers stood stock still. Hardly a breath was drawn. The sound of plasma bursts still resounded in Virus' ears. The smell of melted steel and silicon, cauterized pseudo flesh and sinew still pervaded the air. Then, with strange momentum, the now headless bodies of the twins Bit fell to the floor, sprawled atop each other in a disharmony of artificial limbs.

The silence dragged on, seemingly endless. Slowly, deliberately, there came the sound of hushed footsteps. One pair at a time, light and metallic, they echoed in the still chamber from the opposite side. In an agonizingly slow concordance, they drew closer and closer to the group. I tiny waves, they fell inward to create a clear pathway, as if a skipped stone flew true in a line and the ripples had made a causeway.

There were reploids at both ends of the path. At one end, the bodies of the now deactivated Bit twins. At the other, as if o punctuate long-held fears: Sigma. Cape draped about his shoulders and chassis buffed, he stood in splendor as if to mock the battered and injured reploids opposite him.

The tyrant could not contain his pleasure at capturing all of his enemies at once. He wore and evil grin so vile that even the long-dead scientist Wily would have cringed at the sight. The uneasy feeling that each of the trapped reploids shared seemed to quadruple, but they stood tall and made as brave of faces as they could manage.

Things had never gone well for them, but it always seemed better than this. It was bearable, but then Sigma started to speak, and it was as if a thousand needles pressed into the listeners' minds.

"What a pity… look at you X. You're dead –a mere shell of the fighter that once was. I must say I'm surprised X, I never expected you to be so easy to defeat, but I'm not complaining. You should have joined me all those years ago X –but no! not you. You thought humans were superior, you gave in to their selfish minds and did their bidding. Well X, at last I've put things in their place." He spoke to X as if none of the others were in the room at all.

"I'd tried everything X, but you still seemed to win. But now I've found out your weakness –the one thing that will keep you from ever troubling me again: your precious Zero. I thought I had it with those traitors, but no, you only drew from them. Now I know X, now I know what will crush you! Death." He drew to a whisper, and held the last word with a vicious power that sent shivers down the spines of those in the room.

"Don't look so surprised X, you saw him. He was just a husk, a container for the infinite expanse of the Maverick Virus." Sigma took a few menacing steps forward through the passageway. "It was bound to happen, after all, he was the source! Don't you see X? He was created in the virus, in essence, he _is_ the virus. But now, now he's gone, and he has shown me what makes it. Yes, I can make all of the virus I like without him. That's just as well, as he is dead –dissolved into molecules and atoms.

"Never again X, will you or that pesky Zero trouble me." Sigma discarded his cape in a fluid motion. "It's time X. Time for you to die!"

As the last word ended, there was a resounding crash from the side of the room. Dust flew about the room and a massive pile of junk reploid parts buried several enforcers. As before, a path was made, this time between Sigma and the pile of parts. Sigma had stopped dead in his tracks.

The dust settled, and there was once again silence in the room. After a moment, there came a peculiar humming sound from the middle of pile near the bottom. Then, there was a strange reddish/purplish glow from the cracks between the junk, and at last there was a flash and a shockwave and the junk was cleared.

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Phew.. getting closer to the end now.  
Reviews from chapter 14:

**none**


	18. Chapter Sixteen: The Red Demon

Disclaimer: Megaman and all related content is not mine; they, albeit somewhat regrettably, belong to Capcom Ltd. But don't even think about stealing my original characters! Just ask first, and give credit where credit is due. As usual, spelling/grammar/formatting mistakes are fault (feel free to point them out, though). Without another minute of five-month wait time, to the show! (A/N chapter suffix)

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Red Demon**

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As the parts cleared and the dust began to settle, the room became as silent as it had been before Sigma's monologue.

"You're wrong." The voice was low, controlled. In a slow, awkward ripple, the enforcers left standing around the crash began to step back, clearing another path: to X and his companions.

"But I've got everything figured out; your precious 'virus' told me everything." Sigma's expression had changed. From one of triumph to one of confusion, and from there to one of fear. Sigma was afraid –enough to let it show through in his face.

"I'm not just some tool for you, I don't need that _extra_ part of me to kill you for good. There is a reason," X could identify the voice now; it filled him with both joy and fear. "that the doctor named me 'The Red Demon.'"

There could be no doubt –this was Zero, but even that thought could not budge X. He was frozen completely as his counterpart across the room. The mindless enforcers finished moving away; the path they cleared left everyone, who was not already, stuck with a mixture of awe, fear, and confusion. Zero stood in strange, new armor that glowed with an inborn radiance. His wounds and blemishes were all gone, replaced by a vibrant new strength. Zero looked hardly like his old self in his new raiment. He held no weapons, but he seemed about to fight.

"So far, you've been able to escape and, ultimately, return; that changes now." The gleaming red metal on his fist flashed slightly in the glare as Zero made and raised a fist. "I've spent many, many hours doing nothing but plotting, 'talking' with the so-called 'virus;' planning your death, and so far, everything has gone to plan. That 'madness' was an act every time, but not for you –for you, Sigma, this 'madness' is about to become very, very real."

Everyone in the room watched amazedly as Zero rushed forward almost too fast to see. Three swift punches had Sigma, dumbfounded, against the wall behind him. As the tall, megalomaniac reploid stood up again, it was plain that something was wrong –something was not normal. Now enraged, he attacked his new opponent. It was almost as if a moment from history was repeating itself, except the two roles were now reversed; just as it had happened when first the two fought, one dodged every attack with deft ease and the other frantically swung his fists.

The two continued dueling for minutes more, and still it was only they who moved; the insentient enforcers did not budge, and the small band of rebel fighters did not move either. The only noises were of Sigma and Zero's battle and the tiny whirring of internal cooling systems; it was as if the fight was happening in a gallery of statues.

Then, at last, there was a pause. A powerful green glow ensconced a small area; it was the glow of a beam-saber.

"What?" Sigma gasped in horrified surprise to see that his weapon had made no cut, made no dent. Zero had blocked with his wrist –the blade repulsed harmlessly by his new armor.

"I have spoken with the 'virus,' Sigma, it has helped me, just as I have helped it. Now…" In a single, fluid motion, the red reploid grasped Sigma's hand with his own, and ripped it free of its arm. The beam weapon was still humming down to deactivation as Zero sliced Sigma into three parts, severing waist from torso and torso from neck.

"Die." The beam sword rushed downward toward Sigma's vulnerable forehead, but stopped short. Just as it had when Zero first broke through the vent into the crowd, time itself seemed to stop.

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Oi, I hate to leave you with such a horrible cliffhanger, especially after making you wait so long for an update (sorry about that. ; you'd be surprised how much _stuff_ can just take up time and attention.), but that's the way the coin has landed. I _promise_ whoever among you may still be reading that I will absolutely _not_ make you wait another five months for an update (even if it is a little short like this one). 

Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers that I, rather unfortunately, missed when I put up the proceeding chapters. If I understand things correctly, I'm not allowed to answer individual reviews any more, but all the same, thank you.

As it stands, I've got a pretty full plate from school, hurricane season, "work," and all the other bits and bobs I have to take care of, but I should be able to manage another chapter within a reasonable time frame.


	19. Chapter Seventeen: To Die One More Time

Disclaimer: Megaman and all related content is not mine; they, albeit somewhat regrettably, belong to Capcom Ltd. But don't even think about stealing my original characters! Just ask first, and give credit where credit is due. As usual, spelling/grammar/formatting mistakes are fault (feel free to point them out, though). Without another minute of cliffhanger-filled wait time, to the show!

A/N: Not much left to go, folks, so here goes nothing.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Chapter Seventeen: To Die One More Time**

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It was not only strange, but downright aggravating, and now terrifying as well; Virus could tell that _something_ was stopping him from moving. It wasn't shock that was doing this; it was something else, something benign yet malign all at once. Once again he was incapable of doing anything, forced to watch in confused agony, as this same affliction seemed to overtake everyone and everything in the room. 

Hunter was experiencing a similar frustration. His systems were supposedly operating at optimal levels, but he couldn't do anything. It was almost as if a sentient force of unfathomable power was holding him to his place; he felt that _something_ wanted him to see what was happening. It was insane; he had never been one for crazy ideas, but now, they seemed to come against his will.

Omni felt as if he was struggling against something, but it wasn't like a normal struggle. He was struggling against himself –or at least, that's what it felt like. He couldn't do anything. The battle was intense, but strange. He didn't seem to be losing any strength, but he began to feel tired of the struggle all the same. Nothing seemed to change the fight. Everything he did seemed pointless, but he could not stop the struggle all the same.

End felt strange. His joints wouldn't move, his voice wouldn't come, his senses seemed dull –all except one. He seemed to have lost the ability to do anything but see. His vision would have been amazing –if it had not been horrifying. Everything in his vision was perfectly still, everything except for one thing: Zero. The red reploid was almost as still as the others; his motions were so slight, End would never have been able to detect them. He could see Zero's hand trembling, as if it was being held back by a powerful hand; his face was twitching with anger and then –fear.

He wanted to help, he wanted to attack, he wanted to scream, he wanted to do _something,_ anything, but he couldn't. X felt completely powerless, as he was certain his companions did as well. How long would he be trapped like this? How long would he be powerless? His questions were many, but his answers were none. It dragged on forever –seemed as if it would never end. Then something broke the still. Somewhere nearby, someone yelled. X couldn't be sure of what was said, but it was probably along the lines of "damnit!"

Then, there was an explosion of sorts. All at once, the Enforcers powered down and the weapon fell through Sigma's metallic skull. There was a terrible laughter, as of some demon just possessed of victory from loss; it pierced one to the very core. Then, silence once more, but only for a split second; then came the worst sound ever uttered. A scream of agony so terrible, so full, and so mind-wrenchingly powerful that it too, pulled at the very essence of those who heard. The savior of the day was now the object of so much obvious pain that it seemed to diffuse to his comrades. Each of the powerful reploids at the far end of the room from Zero felt the pain as well, but it was nothing compared to His pain.

Zero thrashed about, clutching first at his forehead, now at his side, now at his hands, trying to grasp every part of himself at once as if he was aflame and could only put himself out by grabbing every bit of the fire, only to have those bits re-ignite when his hand left. Horrible, terrible, powerful, _evil_. The pain continued unceasingly for some time. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped screaming, stopped grabbing, and stopped thrashing. Zero stood quickly, and once more bolted down the hallway; the screams started again, but now they were laced with the heavy fall of metallic boots.

After another time, the reploids in the room regained their ability to move, the overbearing presence gone. By now, the noise of Zero's flight was inaudible. The group looked down the darkened hallway and felt, deep within themselves, that they would likely never see their friend again –that, this time, they had lost him for good. X was the first to react. Slowly at first, quietly, he began to cry. His short sniffles soon turned into loud sobs, and his friend, Whistler, moved to comfort him.

A weight descended on the room. It was like they each carried a great burden –X most of all –and yet they began to move. Slowly, dragging their feet and hanging their heads, each of the reploids in the room picked their way through the collapsed mechaniloids on the ground. They went down the hallway their friend had fled, and stopped at the end of it, before the stairs. Someone pressed the emergency call button, and an elevator door slid open quickly thereafter.

The group shuffled in somberly. Virus punched the button marked "Command," and the silver doors slid closed. X calmed down and looked at his companions. He took in all of their features slowly, serenely, carefully. Then, the elevator stopped. It was on the 58th floor, and the doors moved silently open to the command room.

"I guess now, it's time for us to take care of things, like we always knew we would." With that, X turned around, walked out of the elevator, and punched the intercom. "Friends, we have fought long and hard for you…"


	20. Epilogue: Tears Blood Red

Disclaimer: Megaman and all related content is not mine; they, albeit somewhat regrettably, belong to Capcom Ltd. But don't even think about stealing my original characters! Just ask first, and give credit where credit is due. As usual, spelling/grammar/formatting mistakes are fault of Word or FFnet (feel free to point them out, though).

**A/N**: This is the end of this one. This little denouement was the last bit I had planned for it and (in my fan-conspiracy-driven opinion) a fairly good explanation of the resolution of things. Thanks for sticking it out the whole way; those of you who did review really helped me out a lot; a lot of things happened since I started typing this up, and if not for one particularly insistent fan, this story would have likely ended without resolution, and without seeing justice done to it. You know who you are, so, once again, thanks. I may write up a related work to this, or I might just start something completely new (or I might not even write one at all for a while), but if you've got something you'd like to share, feel free to drop me a line. Anyway, here it is, the end of the Titanium Showdown.

**Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones**

**Epilogue: Tears Blood Red**

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Another war –do they ever end? When one finishes, another begins. It was only ten years after Sigma's death, five years after the stabilization of world society, and three years after X stopped his search that this new war started. Cyber Elves –creatures new and unknown, some good, some bad, all prepared to fight, to die –divided the new order X and his companions had made. Some sided with X and his Hunters, others sided with the scores of Mavericks who still believed humans should die.

This war has been the bloodiest war ever fought. All kinds of weapons have claimed countless lives –both human and reploid –and the body count yet rises. Already, the war has taken its toll among the commanders of the forces as well. The Mavericks have undergone many changes of leadership. X remains the unquestioned leader of the Hunters, but many of his closest friends have died already, and only Omni remains alive of the brave Zero duplicates. Worried for their remains safety, they were buried under graves bearing false mark: Harp, Wiz, Levi, Shade, and Fef.

X is fast losing hope, and his armies are wavering. The Mavericks gain new ranks every day, every hour, and the Hunters dwindle slowly, painfully. Few join the Hunters and many people have stopped supporting them entirely. A Dr. Bai has created a war machine that he claims is capable of tipping the scales back in favor of X, but there is one problem: Dr. Bai designed it under Sigma's stewardship, and its design calls for Zero to be inside the machine to act as a power source. X has already scoured the planet for his hero, and has not found him –alive or otherwise. Everything seems hopeless and grim until one day, after another difficult battle, X receives an ominous radio transmission.

_kzzt! Master X… found some… you'll need… see it… your eyes only… this… top priority… can't hold too long… mobilizing on our position… too important to lose… hurry. Over. kzzt!_

"I don't believe it would be wise for you to leave HQ, X; you could be walking into a trap and killed!"

"As opposed to being killed of inaction here?" X was sulking again; his advisor, Omni, was trying to dissuade him from leaving for the position of the transmission. After a long pause, Omni spoke again.

"I can't give you orders, X, you and I know that… but will you at least listen to reason? We need you here, we need you as our leader, however hopeless it may be. You've changed since that day, and I can't say it's been entirely for the better. Please, reconsider what you're doing." His commander and companion's depressing mood was getting to Omni. They'd lost their friends –their siblings –too soon, too close, and it had changed them both into different people. X found it hard to see the good in situations anymore, and Omni was more prone to showing his emotions –with or against his will.

"It's too late now, Omni. Our fight is hopeless, but there has always been our fight. Ze—he wouldn't quit. Even if there were no hope for any change in the circumstances, he wouldn't quit. There _could_ be something here that will help us. There _might_ be a chance to improve our way, and that's enough for me. I'm going –trap or no."

There were no more words between them now. X stepped up onto the overused TRANS machine and tapped in a command. In a quick zap of light, he was out of the HQ building, and in a sewer close to the transmission source. A few soldiers greeted him tiredly, and they made their way to the place where the "something urgent" lay.

X felt strange as they trod slowly through the rubble-strewn walkway. He began to feel many things, many strange things; for everything he felt, he also felt its opposite; for all his bravery, he also felt fear, for all his strength, he also felt weakness; something was strange about this sewer. He struggled to the top of one last incline, and stopped at the height. The room was mostly empty, huge, and damp. Everything was covered in dust so thick, it must have lain for a decade. X couldn't see anything unusual –nothing seemed important, until he spotted something under a pile of rocks and dust: it was a reploid decked in armor gray with dust; long, pale hair fell matted about its shoulders. The thin, cracked armor plates were unmistakable. X was suddenly flooded with memories of _that day_ when everything had been turned upside down

He tried to rush forward and pull the body from the rocks, but the soldiers around him held him back with worried looks.

"Sir! You can't go any farther than this! You'll die from exposure to the Virus! It's so full in the air that you can almost see it! Please, calm down!" Five soldiers struggled against X's strength while one of them screamed protest. It was some time before X came to his senses. Then everything sort of clicked inside him. The broken transmission, the cryptic message, the strange feelings –they were all because of the Virus, and Zero's body was still producing it! Letting on about the presence of this much of the Virus would cause the Mavericks to overwhelm the position with everything they had, and that would be the ultimate defeat for X: to find and then lose Zero again. X collected himself immediately –Zero had won him the last war, and he just might win him this one as well.

"Soldiers! Hold this position at _all costs_! Reinforcements will be sent as soon as possible! You men may just be the reploids who saved Civilization as we know it! I will return shortly." X bolted off down the hallway. A euphoria overtook him as he ran.

_Only moments later_

X was back with one hundred more soldiers, a host of heavy weapons, Omni, and the mysterious Dr. Bai. Already, the quiet sewer had become the most important place in all the world. X called the group to attention for a moment.

"This is the pivotal moment." He spoke forcefully, but with compassion and pride. "Dr. Bai is setting up his machine to prepare us for victory through Zero!" There was a cheer at the name. X calmed them after a moment. "You will all witness history made, you will all be heroes remembered for the rest of time. But…" X looked over the group. "not in name." There was a confused murmur. "I must ask you all to swear, by everything you hold dear, that after this day, you will never speak of this place or what takes place today again –nor may you visit this place. You must make a solemn vow of secrecy. I am sorry that I must make such a demand of you all, but such is our circumstance. After today, this war will end, and we can all live…" suddenly, X faltered. He could do nothing but stare for a moment. Then, at last, the word came to him, "peacefully."

The reverie from the speech was short lived. Somewhere near the back of the crowd, there came a yell. "Enemy advancing on us! They'll be here in thirty minutes!" Reploids scrambled to their positions. There was a semi-ordered panic in the cramped space. X stole a glance at the screen displaying the forces arrayed against them; the view was dismaying. Dr. Bai was already working feverishly, and Omni was coordinating the defenders.

After almost thirty minutes, as estimated, the Maverick war force could be seen on the horizon. Everyone dug in to his position. Everyone prepared for bombardment and combat. Everyone became ready –the air of fanaticism in the room was overwhelming. Then, things became unnerving.

"Master X, I have a problem that is most urgent."

"What is it Dr. Bai?" X was so preoccupied that he missed precisely what Bai had called him.

"It's about Zero… he… will no longer fill the function in Omega." That got X's attention.

"WHAT?"

"You see… the body that Zero is in… does hold the Virus' source, but it is not the same body. Some things are different and… it won't work." X seemed quite taken aback. He had no idea how to solve this problem –if that wasn't Zero's body, then what could be done? It was then the shelling started. The loud booms didn't help the problem solving any.

"X, Bai, what's the situation?" Omni joined them then.

"Not good." Bai's response was dismayed, but otherwise indifferent.

"How so?"

"Zero's body is not correct for the machine. We seem sunk, Omni." X piped in. The three fell silent to ponder the dilemma. X turned and walked away. Omni and Bai began to speak. Every boom of the artillery shells exploding seemed to weigh down more and more on X. He thought back on other times. The years of his life all seemed the same. Everything he could remember involved fighting –when he awoke from his stasis, and reploids were first made, fighting soon started; when things seemed to be getting back on the right track, fighting started again; when the world seemed to be coming to order, fighting broke out again. In all of his memories, there were four central figures: Himself, Sigma, Dr. Cain, and Zero –three of them were now dead. One was gone for good, body and program; another died of his drinking habit; and the third lay dead in a room behind him.

This fight seemed as hopeless as all the others, but it was different. Sigma was not the evil that drove this fight. This time, it was far simpler than that. But even without Sigma, he should have been able to win the fight. It was the difference of Zero. Zero had been shut down before –destroyed even –but Zero had always come back, and this time he hadn't. When Vile was about to kill him all those years ago, Zero had sacrificed himself to save X. When Sigma's first –and failed –copy had threatened X's life, Zero stepped in and saved him. It was Zero's beam sword that had saved X's life in the fight against Sigma in the next fight. This time, though, Zero would not be alive to save X just when he needed it most. This time, it seemed, that X really would lose.

X felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked down and saw the white gloved hand of his friend, Omni. "It's horrible to say it, but it looks like we can't do this. Without a power source, Omega will not work, and we don't have any alternative sources that work for a reploid that size."

X looked up, and then down at the hand again. Something in his mind said that there was a way… that something would still work, and then it hit him.

"Omni! Zero's body won't work because you have it!" Omni looked confusedly and concernedly at his friend, and then he got it as well.

"Dr. Bai!" The two rushed back to the scientist reploid. The sounds of combat began to accompany the bombardment –time was running even thinner.

"Dr. Bai, could Omega to function on my modified chassis? It was Zero's first, after all, and should be the one that will serve the purpose."

"Oh my. Oh my, yes! I believe I can! But…"

"But what?" X asked.

"Well, it's just that… well, look at this. Quickly now." Bai produced a small chart with a few things labeled on it; it was a chart of Zero's systems. "This one: S001a. That is the source of the Maverick Virus. That is what I need, but there is a catch. Zero is still alive, and removing it would make any hope of recovery virtually impossible. It would also mean that most, if not al, of Zero's memories would be lost. Then, there is the process of putting it in you, Omni." The news hit the two like a buster shot to the forehead. It was the buster shots behind them that urged them on.

"We have no choice, Bai. Do it. No matter what the circumstances, do it. I am prepared." Omni spoke up before X could protest, and sent Bai on his way. Then, he turned to X. "This is the only way X. I'm sorry. Here. If there's no way for me to come back, I want you to have this." Omni held out the hilt of a beam sword. "It was Zero's first, then yours, then mine. Keep it."

"Come, Omni, it is ready." The two looked over at the scientist. He held a glowing red-purple crystal in his hand; Zero looked untouched. However, Omni went forward without question…

X turned to the fighting then, and joined the fray. It was only minutes later that X heard a terrible noise, as of a self-destruct system charging. He looked and saw Omega standing. The shining white reploid war machine adjusted to activation for a moment, and then rushed the front lines. From that point on, there was no more fight –merely a massacre. Maverick reploids fell in droves as if they were nothing. Reploid blood spilled everywhere, covered every rock and tree. The sight was horrible, terrible, but such is war. X had to look away –only the blood-frenzied Omega could stand to watch the fight. X had bought himself a victory, with all of his friends and his hero, and even with the lives of so many saved, he still could not decide if the price he had paid was too high…

_Long after that…_

Everything was dark, but at least there was something. Before there had been nothing, now darkness filled that void. His body ached, and he could not move. It was like he had slept for a long time after being awake for too long, doing too many things. The pull told him only two things: he existed, and someone needed him. He didn't know why, but he was answering that call.

From the darkness, he thought he heard someone scream. It sounded sad, painful, strange –sounded like someone said "Passy." After that, things started working. He moved, he stood, and he saw. He heard monotonous footfalls and heavy breathing. He looked up and saw a girl with yellow hair looking at him, saying something. He couldn't hear her. All he saw was the block of glowing, red singular eyes. Something within him told him they were bad –they were evil –and he attacked. The girl said something behind him: "Zero!" and he knew somehow, that was his name, and this was his purpose.

_And so ends the Titanium Showdown_


End file.
